TELEVISION BROADCASTING OF SPORTS – AUSTRALIA

Summer sport showdown: tennis, cricket and soccer vie for Aussie TV viewers’ attention

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Jan-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 40 per cent of Australians aged 14+ say they almost always or occasionally watch cricket on TV. The survey, which was carried out in the year to September 2014, also shows that 35 per cent of Australians watch tennis and 23 per cent watch soccer. Meanwhile, 52 per cent of Australians aged 65+ almost always or occasionally watch cricket on TV, and 47 per cent watch tennis. In contrast, soccer is most popular among the 35-49 age group (26 per cent)

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, ASIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION

Ten battle delays AFL talks

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 17-Dec-14

The negotiations on the new broadcasting rights deal for Australian Football League (AFL) matches have been rescheduled for early 2015. The AFL Commission, keen to maximise the potential gains, will wait for the current takeover speculation on Ten Network to be resolved. The free-to-air TV groups are set to pay between $A1.5bn and $A1.6bn in the agreement covering the next five seasons, up from $A1.258bn previously. Among Ten’s suitors is a consortium of Foxtel and Discovery Communications that has made an offer worth $A590m

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE COMMISSION, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Ten teams up with Foxtel in F1 racing deal

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Original article by James Chessell, Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 20-Nov-14

A new deal is about to be struck for the TV broadcasting rights in Australia to Formula One automobile racing. Insiders say free-to-air group Ten Network and pay TV provider Foxtel will jointly hold the rights after Ten’s current exclusive contract ends in late 2015. The price is tipped to be around $A30m per annum compared with $A10m now. Meanwhile it appears US-based media group Time Warner is no longer interested in a takeover of Ten, which remains a target of suitors Discovery Communications and Foxtel

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FORMULA ONE HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

All aflutter: Melbourne Cup draws the punters (but TV viewers are down)

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-Oct-14

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 5.3 per cent of Australians aged 18+ placed bets on horse races at least once in any given four-week period in the year to September 2014. This compares with 8.3 per cent in the year to September 2004. However, betting activity increases significantly around Melbourne Cup time, although the proportion of Australians who watch the race on TV has fallen from 39 per cent to 31.1 per cent in the last 10 years

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Ten on path to recovery, says CEO

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 22 : 17-Oct-14

Free-to-air TV group Ten Network has posted a 2013-14 post-tax loss of $A168.3m, after $A295m in 2012-13. However revenue fell further, down 4.3% to $A625m. Analysts are nevertheless applauding the turnaround and cost cutting strategies of CEO Hamish McLennan, and on 16 October 2014 the stock closed $A0.02 higher at $A0.20. McLennan says Ten will lodge a bid for the broadcasting rights to Australian Football League matches, currently held by rival Seven West Media. Ten recently acquired the Big Bash cricket and V8 Supercars rights

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Souths to cash in from victory

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Original article by Joe Aston, Jessica Gardner, John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Oct-14

The South Sydney team on 5 October 2014 won the National Rugby League grand final against Canterbury, its first such victory since 1961. The telecast of the match also brought an all-time high audience figure of close to 2.6 million for free-to-air TV network Nine. Increased merchandise sales and a boost in club membership numbers after the success will mean South Sydney records a net profits of nearly $A2m for 2014. Controversy has engulfed Rowen Craigie, CEO of South Sydney sponsor Crown Resorts, after he allegedly supported Canterbury

CORPORATES
SOUTH SYDNEY RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB, BULLDOGS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, BRISBANE BRONCOS LIMITED – ASX BBL, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SYDNEY SWANS FOOTBALL CLUB, HAWTHORN FOOTBALL CLUB

AFL gains for Seven, as NRL loses audience

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 29-Sep-14

Despite Seven West Media agreeing to let pay TV provider Fox Sports simulcast almost all Australian Football League (AFL) matches, the free-to-air network is set to record a gain in audience ratings for the 2014 season. The AFL grand final played on 27 September appears likely to be the most-watched program for the year, with an average capital city viewers figure of 2.813 million. At the same time the ratings for National Rugby League matches have declined compared with 2013, dragging down the performance of main Seven rival Nine Entertainment

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SYDNEY SWANS FOOTBALL CLUB, HAWTHORN FOOTBALL CLUB, FOX SPORTS, FREMANTLE DOCKERS FOOTBALL CLUB, WEST COAST EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB, FUSION STRATEGY, COLLINGWOOD FOOTBALL CLUB, PORT ADELAIDE FOOTBALL CLUB, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BRISBANE BRONCOS LIMITED – ASX BBL, SOUTH SYDNEY RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB, BULLDOGS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED

New set of silks for Magic Millions

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 2-Sep-14

Free-to-air TV network Seven West Media owns the broadcasting rights to the Sydney Easter Carnival, Melbourne Spring Carnival and Emirates Melbourne Cup Carnival. It has now also secured a deal for the remaining major thoroughbred horseracing event series, the Magic Millions staged on the Gold Coast in Queensland, with owners Gerry Harvey and Katie Page. It had until now been screened by the Nine Entertainment rival of Seven

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MAGIC MILLIONS LIMITED, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

Seven grabs Comm Games

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 20-Aug-14

Seven West Media hopes to emulate the Nine Network’s ratings success with the most recent Commonwealth Games that were held in Australia in 2006. Seven is believed to have paid $A43m for the traditional and digital media rights to the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Seven CEO Tim Worner says that securing the broadcasting rights for the Olympic Games until 2020 prompted the decision to bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEDERATION, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

TV networks not on the same wavelength: Why NRL clubs want more Sunday games

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Original article by Brad Walter
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 46 : 19-Aug-14

The Nine Network and Fox Sports like National Rugby League (NRL) matches to be scheduled on Thursday nights, as the timeslot attracts high ratings. However, attendance at Thursday night matches tend to be low, and NRL teams suggest that playing matches on Sunday afternoons would draw a much bigger crowd. Likewise, Monday night matches are popular with TV viewers but often attract low crowd numbers

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BULLDOGS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, SOUTH SYDNEY RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB, BRISBANE BRONCOS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, SYDNEY ROOSTERS RUGBY LEAGUE FOOTBALL, GOLD COAST TITANS, MELBOURNE STORM RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS, PARRAMATTA RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB, GEELONG FOOTBALL CLUB, CARLTON FOOTBALL CLUB, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, MANLY WARRINGAH DISTRICT RUGBY LEAGUE FOOTBALL CLUB, NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS LIMITED, NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS LIMITED